Wire-stretcher.



5. F. SOHUSTER.

WIRE STRETOHER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 1908.

904,01 9. Paten ed o 17,1908.

10 jg I a if J9 5 J1 J I J7 EARNEST F. SOHUSTER, OF GENEVA, NEBRASKA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Application filed. June 17, 1908. Serial No. 439,054.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARNEST F. SOHUSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Geneva, in the county of Fillmore and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in wire stretchers and consists of the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be simple, strong, durable and inexpensive in construction and convenient and effective in operation.

The above and other objects of the invention are attained in its preferred embodi ment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved wire stretcher; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section; Figs. 3 and 1 are transverse sectional views; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the inner end of the lever.

My improved wire stretcher comprises two ratchet members 1, 2 arranged to oppose each other and provide an open frame or body and one of which is movable toward and from the other to permit of the passage between them of a double ended pawl or dog 3 carried by an operating lever 1. The ratchet member 1 is relatively stationary and forms one side bar of the rectangular body of the device, the ends 5, 6 of said body being disposed at the ends of said ratchet member 1 and at right angles thereto. The ratchet member 2 is composed of two spaced sections connected together at their ends by transverse pins or fastenings 7 which project into and slide in guide openings or slots 8 formed in tenons or tongues 9 on the outer extremities of the ends 5, 6 of the body. The tongues 9 are formed by reducing the ends 5, 6 and are adapted to project between the spaced sections of the ratchet member 2 to space them apart and to guide them in their sliding and swinging movement toward and from the member 1, the pins 7 in the grooves 8 serving to prevent longitudinal movement of the members 2, as will be readily understood upon reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. The

ratchet member 2 is actuated toward the member 1 by means of two flat or leaf springs 10 the inner ends of which are secured at 11 upon the ends 5, (3 of the body and the outer ends of which are bent to form loops which engage recesses 12 in the outer faces of the sections of the ratchet member 2, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1. The lever 4: may have its outer end suitably shaped to provide a handle and its inner end which projects through and slides and swings in the space between the sections of the ratchet member 2 is enlarged to provide the double pawl or dog 3. The latter is a substantially rectangular shaped head, one end 13 of which is adapted to co-act with the teeth of the ratchet member 1 and the other end of which is provided with two curved or beveled shoulders 14 which co-act with the teeth of the two sections of the ratchet member 2.

Any suitable means may be provided for anchoring either the body or the lever, but as illustrated, I provide an eye 15 at the end 6 of the body to receive a chain or the like 17 which may be passed around a fence post or engaged with any other stationary element so as to anchor the body; and I pivot at 18 upon the center of the head or member 3 of the lever a link or rod 19 which projects through a centrally arranged slot or opening 20 in the end 5 of the body and may be provided with a wire grip or any suitable means for attaching a fence wire or a load of any description to it. Upon the lever 1 is a pin 1 wlnch may be brought into contact with the outer side face of the body when the lever is swung at an angle to disengage its ends 13, 1 1 from the two ratchet members, said pin serving as a guide when the lever is shifted longitudinally.

In operation, the lever 4: is turned to an angular position to throw both ends 13, 14 of its head 3 out of engagement with the teeth of the two ratchet members 1, 2 and said lever is then slid longitudinally of the body toward its end 5. The lever is then oscillated longitudinally so that the ends or shoulders 13, 14; of its head 3 will alternately act as its fulcrum upon the teeth of the ratchet members 1, 2 and said levers will thereby be caused to travel longitudinally through the body and to draw the stretching rod or link 19 into the latter. Each time the lever swings past a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the body the ratchet member 2 will be sprung outwardly to permit the head 3 to pass such plane, as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 1.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by constructing the device with the two opposing ratchet members one of which is movable toward and from the other and spring pressed and by providing the lever with the head 3 which forms a double dog or pawl, the use of pivots and small spring pressed pawls is dispensed with and a con struction provided that is simple, strong and durable and exceedingly quick in operation and convenient to manipulate.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a wire stretcher, a body having a stationary ratchet member, guides at each end of said ratchet member, a movable ratchet member slidably engaged with said guides and movable toward and from the stationary member, leaf springs carried by the stationary ratchet member and engaged with the movable ratchet member, and a lever having a double ended pawl to co-act with said ratchet members.

2. In a wire stretcher, abody having parallel ends united by a stationary ratchet member, one end being formed with an opening, guides upon said ends, a movable ratchet member slidably engaged with said guides, springs for actuating said movable ratchet member toward the stationary one, a lever having a double ended pawl to co-actwith said ratchet members, a connecting rod attached to said pawl and slidable in the opening in one end of the body, and an attaching connection at the other end of said body.

3. In a wire stretcher, a body having ends united by a stationary ratchet member, a movable ratchet member having spaced sections slidably engaged with the ends of the body and movable toward and from the stationary ratchet member, springs for actuating the movable ratchet member, and a lever arranged to travel between the sections of the movable ratchet member and having a double ended pawl arranged between the two ratchet members and adapted to co-act therewith.

4. In a wire stretcher, a body having ends united by a stationary ratchet member, a movable ratchet member having spaced sections slidably engaged with the ends of the body and movable toward and from the stationary ratchet member, springs for actuating the movable ratchet member, a lever arranged to travel between the sections of the movable ratchet member and having a double ended pawl arranged between the two ratchet members and adapted to co-act therewith, means for anchoring the body and a load attaching link slidable in one end of the body and connected to the double ended pawl upon the lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY PUTLITZ, J. H. SAYER. 

